DECEMBER 15-21: NATIONAL; STAR WARS 2003

President Bush ordered the Pentagon to deploy a modest antimissile system by 2004. He acknowledged that the plan to field 10 interceptors in Alaska and California within two years, and 10 more interceptors a year later, would offer only modest protection initially against a small number of missiles fired by a country like North Korea. But he said it was important to field whatever capability was ready now and improve it over time. Congress must approve $1.5 billion in additional funding. Eric Schmitt